


Next of Kin

by royalbluelight



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: M/M, Malex, alex manes defense squad, forlex, mention of past M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-27
Updated: 2020-04-27
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:14:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23883598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/royalbluelight/pseuds/royalbluelight
Summary: Alex is hurt and only his family can see him.
Relationships: Forrest Long/Alex Manes, Michael Guerin/Alex Manes
Comments: 11
Kudos: 121





	Next of Kin

**Author's Note:**

> ENJOY.

Kyle just got off of a 25-hour shift and all he wanted was his Abduction Waffles with a large Dark Beam coffee and a side of U.F-Donuts. He did not order a Michael Guerin to share his booth. Kyle did his best to keep an uncomfortable scowl form on his lips as Guerin licked syrup off his motor oil stained fingers.

“So, Doc. How’s Isobel?” Wiping his hand off on a napkin, Michael looked Kyle dead in the eye and waited for an answer. Kyle and Isobel have been building a closer bond after the night two years ago bumping into each other at the gay bar. Their friendship has formed into uncharted territory that neither seem to get the courage to explore.

Kyle gave him a deadpanned stare, “She’s your sister, Guerin. Why don’t you ask her yourself?”

“I know I can. I just want to hear it from you.” Michael replied.

Drinking the last of his coffee before responding another body landed on his side of the booth grabbing his half-eaten donut from his plate. “I’m fine, Michael. How are you?” Isobel squinted her eyes at her brother who gave her an innocent smile.

“I’m great, sis. Just wanted to know how you were, considering you’ve been hanging out with Valenti a lot. I’m starting to think that you forgot all about your baby brother.”

“Trust me. If you could forget about you, I would.” Isobel rolled her eyes. “If Alex finds a file about removing memories I’ll be the first to volunteer.” She teased, but soon regretted the words when she felt Michaels powers spike. She looked up at him and saw his jaw clenched and chest heaving. Kyle too had to look of pity on his features, he squeezed her knee under the table as if to say _“you didn’t do anything. You know this is on him.”_

Michael hasn’t spoken more than ten words to Alex when they were in the same vicinity in over two years. He thought going ten years with Alex was oversees was rough, but knowing exactly where he was and seeing him on a weekly basis was unbearable. They were friends, they were. But after a stupid night with Maria, they were never the same again even after he and Maria broke up. Alex didn’t look him in the eye, when he did laugh at something Michael—which was rare, he was keeping count—it was nothing more than a closed mouth chuckle. God, he missed Alex’s laugh.

“Yo.” Liz came to their booth wearing her uniform. “Need anything, Iz?”

Ripping her eyes from her brother she looked up at Liz, “No, I’m fine. Thanks.” Iz nodded and began to pick up Kyle and Michael’s dishes with Kyle’s help. Michael was too focused on his hands.

“Well, I’m not leaving this place anytime soon, but Alex and Jenna should be at you-know-where in few hours. Meet there?” Kyle and Isobel agreed and Liz made her way back to the kitchen, not before squeezing Michael’s shoulder.

Isobel reached out and grabbed Michaels hand which woke him from his thoughts, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t of--.”

“You didn’t do anything.” He said with tight lips. “I did.”

Before Isobel can apologize further, heavy footsteps made their way towards the trio’s booth and called for Kyles attention. “Mijo.” Sheriff Valenti greeted. Confused, Kyle gently tapped Isobel’s leg and she quickly got up and smiled at the sheriff as Kyle gave his mom a hug.

“Hey! I thought we were gonna do dinner tonight?” Kyle released his mother and stared at her face. She looked pale and was swaying in place. “Mom? You okay. Do you need to sit down?”

“No, mijo. I’m fine but we need to cancel dinner tonight.”

Crossing his arms, Kyle replied. “Okay. Why?”

“It’s Alex.”

The diner’s power went out. 

The drive to Santa Fe was long. Even with a police escort.

“Drive!” Michael shouted from the backseat. Was he okay? Is he alone? He knew he should’ve gone with them. “Can you hurry up?”

Kyle looked at him through the rear-view mirror. “I can’t Guerin! If I could I would, we are already hitting 90 with a police escort.” 

Isobel turned her body towards her brother from the passenger side as Liz tried to rub soothing circles on his back. “You need to calm down.”

Defeated Michael sat back down trying to keep his anger in check. As they reached the hospital and put the car in park all three ran full speed into the hospital with Michael leading them. As he got to the receptionist desk he all but yelled out. “Alexander Manes!” The young girl with the volunteer shirt looked up at him with wide eyes. Michael wasn’t in the mood for decency. “Alex Manes? Are you deaf? Where is he?”

“Guerin!” Kyle grabbed his elbow, only to have Michael in his face. “She’s a kid!” Clenching his teeth, Michael let out a heavy breath through his nose.

Liz stepped to the desk with a bright smile. “I’m so sorry. We just drove from Roswell and two of our friends are here and we are really worried about them. Please forgive him.” The girl only managed to nod as her shaky hands grabbed the keyboard closer to her.

“It-Its okay. Um, sorry, names please?”

“Alexander Manes and Jenna Cameron.” Isobel calmly said.

“Um…oh...okay. Ms. Cameron was released and Mr. Manes is on the 4thfloor. There is a waiting area right in front of the elevator.”

Michael ran towards the elevator leaving the other three behind. Isobel rolled her eyes before giving the volunteer a kind smile, “Thank you so much. Again, please forgive my brother.”

The other three caught up and once they exited the elevator they saw Max and Jenna in the waiting room. Max had his deputy uniform on while Jenna was wearing scrubs given from the hospital. Max stood and Liz was sheltered by his arms in a deep hug. Michael went straight to Jenna as she was sitting in a wheelchair and a bandage going around her right wrist and butterfly bandages on her forehead and eyebrow. “What happened?”

“Michael.” Max’s voice boomed.

“Where is he?” He ignored his brother as his eyes never left Jenna’s. She looked up at him completely unbothered. “Cam!”

“Michael!” Isobel behind Jenna with her hands on the other blonde’s shoulders. Jenna reached up and tapped Isobel’s hand.

“It’s okay. He’s worried.” Jenna’s eyes never left Michaels face. “We were on our way back to Roswell when a big rig ran a red light. We were T-boned on the passenger side.” Swallowing the bile in her mouth caused by the guilt. “I was driving.”

Michael stood still. Eyes on Jenna but not really seeing her. He was seeing a flipped car. Air bags deployed. A bloody passenger. An ambulance that took too long to get to the scene. He saw Alex dead.

Kyle kneeled down to Jenna’s level. “It’s not your fault.” Jenna looked at her close friend with watery eyes.

“I was driving.” She repeated.

“But you didn’t run the red light.” Liz said next to Max. She turned to look at her boyfriend. “Wait. When did you get here?”

“About an hour and a half ago. I was there when the Chief got the call,” he reached up and clasped a hand on Michael’s shoulder. “I didn’t want to leave them here alone for too long.”

Michael turned to his brother’s hand and looked up at his face. “Thank you.” Max only gave him a small smile. He turned back down to Jenna, “I’m sorry, Cam. Are you okay?” He was ashamed, she was hurt too.

Sniffing a bit, she playfully punched his thigh, “Don’t worry about it. Just a twisted wrist and a fractured leg. Nothing whiskey can’t fix.”

“How’s Alex?” Isobel asked. Max and Jenna looked at each other, unsure.

Max spoke up, “They won’t tell us.”

The shamed look on Michaels face turned to anger, “What? Why not?”

Jenna answered, “They can only speak to family or next of kin. So, we have to wait for his brothers to show up or For--.”

“For Alex Manes.” A doctor came into the waiting room in scrubs matching Jenna’s and clipboard in hand. “We are looking for family and/or next of kin.”

Michael was about to yell at her that he is family. Alex is Michaels family. Alex is the only family her will ever need.

“Next of kin: Dr. Kyle Valenti.” She read off the clipboard. Kyle stepped forward with a straight back and squared shoulders.

“Right here.”

The doctor stretched out her hand, “Hello. I’m Dr. Nic Hawkin. I’m the attending surgeon of Alex’s care.”

“Surgeon?” Michael stepped forward until both Liz and Max grabbed each of his elbows from walking further.

Dr. Hawkin did not look fazed and continued to speak to Kyle. “I understand you are his primary physician?”

“Yes. He’s been in my care for almost 3 years now.” Kyle responded professionally.

“Follow me.” Both doctors walked out of the waiting room and down the hallway. The rest of the people left were silent. Max walked right next to Michael as he saw his brother slowly losing grasp of his anger.

“He’s going to be okay.”

Kyle came back 20 minutes later with fresh scrubs of his own and a hair cap. Michael stood up and bee lined towards Valenti. Kyle raised his hands silently telling people to calm down.

“The crash caused internal bleeding of the liver and they went in to repaired that and his lung that a rib punctured. He’s okay.”

Michael felt the world lift.

“For now.” Kyle added quietly. Michael eyes snapped.

“Speak, Valenti.”

Kyle sighed before he answered. “Internal bleeding is a bitch. Any little thing can cause it to rupture again. Right now, he’s in ICU. After literally begging on my knees they’re are letting me care for him with the team they have right now.”

Michael began to pace the floor. He almost began to pull his curls out. Before he stopped dead on his tracks and turned to his brother. “Max…”

Liz stood between Max and Michael as the latter made his way in front of his brother. “Please…”

Max looked towards the floor. “I’m sorry.”

Tears flooded Michael’s eyes, “Max, please. I know this is a lot. But please.” His voice began to crack. Isobel’s eyes began to swim in tears as well. “I’ve never asked you for anything. Please Max. He needs to be okay.”

Michael was grabbing on to his brother’s shoulders, looking Max right into this eyes and begging. Begging for him to save the man he loves. Begging to be able to see Alex smile. Begging for Alex to be with him again. Max gently grabbed his forearms and said, “I can’t.”

Isobel came behind Michael and hugged him from behind, “You know that’s risking exposure…We can’t do it.” Michael stepped away from his siblings.

“But it’s okay to bring a dead girl back to life, right?”

“Michael,” Kyle said grabbing his attention. “Alex is in a hospital bed recovering from intense surgery. Even if Max heals him how are you gonna explain that?”

“We’ll figure it out!”

“Mikey.” Liz stepped closer to Michael standing a safe distance. “He is going to be fine. He’s a survivor.”

Michael final broke down. His face was scrunched up in pain and the sobs went through his entire body and into the waiting room. Liz wrapped him in her arms and let his heavy body lean into hers. Between his gasps of air, she heard him say, “not like this…I can’t lose him like this.”

They were in the waiting room for 3 hours. Each taking turns buying coffee and snacks for the rest. There was no difference of Alex’s condition and no difference in Michael’s patience. The rest were able to have him sit down for more than 20 minutes at a time but his nerves won’t let him. They were in their own thoughts as soon when the elevator door opened and a hurricane of blue hair runout.

“Where is his?” Forrest didn’t waste any time.

Irritated by him in an instant, Michael placed a cold smirk on his face. “Finally, you show up.”

Forrest’s usually kind and soft eyes hardened, “Fuck off, Guerin.”

“Alex must be so important that you waited 5 hours to get here.”

“I just landed from New York, asshole.”

Jenna sighed and rolled her way closer to Forrest. “I’ve been texting him as soon as I was released. Not like that was any of your concern.” She switched her attention from Michael to Forrest, “He’s okay but in the ICU, he’s still critical.”

“I need to see him.” Forrest’s whole body was shaking with nerves. His charming face was in a cold sweat and pale to the sight.

Kyle stood up and embraced Forrest, “He’ll be okay.”

Forrest took in deep steady breathes as the separated, “I need to see him.” He repeated.

“For Alex Manes.” A nurse came into the waiting room. Everyone stood up at attention and began to crowd around the nurse. “He’s awake.” Everyone started to ask a million questions at once, the man started to be overwhelmed, “I’m sorry. I can only speak to family or Dr. Valenti.” 

Forrest spoke up, “Me. You can speak to me.”

The nurse looked skeptical, “And you are…?”

“His fiancée.”

_What._

_Fiancée._

_Forrest._

_Alex…_

“Okay. Follow me.” Forrest eagerly followed the nurse with Kyle closely behind. Michael felt like the world was upside down and inside out. Alex is getting married? To Forrest? That wasn’t supposed to happen. He wasn’t supposed to fall in love. Michael was supposed to marry Alex. Grow old with Alex. He was supposed to be Alex’s. Alex was going to be with him. Not Forrest. Never Forrest. Michael felt small hands on his shoulder and felt Isobel’s weight on his side. He couldn’t react. He just heard the blood rushing through his ear and felt his heart down to his feet.

“C’mon, sit down.” Isobel led him away from the rest and Max followed, sitting Michael in a bench. Michael sat down like a robot no emotion was on his face. His heart and mind were blank, the only think and hear was “fiancée.” Max sat next to him while Isobel was kneeled right in front to him. “Talk to us.” His entire body felt like it was ran over by a bus. All the adrenaline and energy he exhausted from the day finally took a toll and all Michael wanted was to sleep and wake from this bad dream. That’s what is was. A bad dream where Alex is hurt and Alex wasn’t his…

Michael finally found his voice, “Did you know?” His eyes not leaving the white floor.

Isobel turned to Max as if asking what she should say. “The truth, Iz.” Michael pressed.

Sighing she replied. “Last week Forrest asked for a favor to get him to be able to use the drive-in for the night.” Michael’s eyes found her blue ones. “Yes, I knew.”

His bottom lip disappeared between his teeth. “I lost him, didn’t I?” He didn’t need to hear a reply to know the answer.

_I lost him. For good this time._

**Author's Note:**

> Ive had comments to continue with Bruises and I wanted to soooo bad because I was trash at updating. I think I got too excited for a project but I didnt lay it all out before putting it into words. Though after 206 I am not a big fan of Maria DeLuca anymore. I didnt not see it or plan on seeing it. I have friends that I trust their opinion and I have decided to remove myself from all things Maria and if youve read Bruises you know shes was a big part of the story too and was going to continue to be. Im thinking about removing the story and reposting when its all said and done and when I feel better about writing her. we'll see.


End file.
